A Wicked Mysterious Thing
by Betty Elms
Summary: When Henry's father shows up in town, the Mayor reacts in a manner surprising both to her and a vulnerable Emma.


**Title:** A Wicked Mysterious Thing (one shot)

**Rating:** M

**Summary:** When Henry's father shows up in town, the Mayor reacts in a manner surprising both to her and a vulnerable Emma.

**Category:** Angst and Sexytimes (SexyAngst? Sangst? lol)

**Trigger Warnings:** Implied statutory rape.

**Note:** Just a little something in my head – I've completely neglected my other multi-chapter (Come Undone) and well, I hope this makes up for it until I can get back on that saddle again. Also, I've tried to edit this but I'm sure I missed a few so, sorry for any mistakes. Enjoy your cocoa ;)

This night was different.

It was a still night at the Mayor's house. If it hadn't been so quiet, if the Mayor had been up to her usual tasks at that hour of night (finishing up paperwork) with Henry already fast asleep, she would have easily missed the light knocking on her front door. Maybe if she hadn't been drowning her sorrows alone, staring at the fire in the fireplace with only the crackling of the burning wood to keep her company, she would not have heard the familiar footsteps of Emma Swan approaching her front door. Today was different. Today had changed things.

It took a second of contemplation before the Mayor got up, set her glass of scotch down on the coffee table uncharacteristically foregoing a coaster, straightened out her skirt, and walked out of her home office to the front door. She hadn't bothered to put her heels back on. The need for the advantage of height no longer so important.

She opened the door. There she was. Emma Swan. All pitiful, puppy dog eyes, pleading to be held. She looked as if it took all her strength to be there. Beautifully, achingly vulnerable Miss Emma Swan. It was freaking her out.

"Madame Mayor. May I?" Emma finally says.

"Please, do come in. You've heard, I presume?" Regina asks, controlling herself.

"Yes. I just came here to, uh, thank you. For what you did-"

"It was nothing. It had to be done."

"You didn't have to go about it that way."

"Well, it was legal, permanent and most of all – private." Regina says, proudly – she could have dealt with the man in an even more permanent manner – but she decided on a path that would do a certain other person proud. She controlled the situation, is what she kept telling herself.

"You did it anyway. You could have damaged me in front of Henry and he would have never forgiven me. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' as they say."

Never was a truer statement when it came to Regina's thoughts on Emma. Except sometimes there are grey areas, Regina found. Grey areas in the name of Henry.

"Just so we're clear, Sheriff, I did it all for Henry. My son. Having that biological father around would have been damaging to Henry - especially if he found out how… how he was really conceived."

"Yes. Thank you Regina."

"That vile man will never come back, I assure you."

When she learnt of Emma's ordeal with Henry's biological father, there was a part of Regina's heart, what remained of it, that broke – forming fissures that reopened old scars from a darker time in her childhood. She was finding that she had much too much in common with the blonde and that she actually was still capable of empathy. Still, she kept up appearances and gestured to her office.

"You look like you could use a drink, Sheriff."

"Tell me about it, but I could use something stiffer than a cider, if you don't mind." Emma said as they entered the office and she closed the door behind her. She noticed the glass on the coffee table. "I see you've started without me."

"Well, it's been a long day." Regina down played as she eyed the options a little too dutifully in her liquor cabinet. "What's your poison, Sheriff?"

Emma remained by the closed door, unsure. She couldn't seem to take her eyes from the glass on the coffee table. She was struggling at keeping her emotions at bay. All this from the overwhelming gratefulness for the Mayor who had essentially saved her from and finally rid her off that man, the monster who was supposed to look out for her best interest, and the best interest of many children of the ward. The man who fathered Henry. She thought he never knew that she had kept Henry, at least for nine months. How he found them in Storybrooke was still a mystery to her.

Finally she looked at Regina whose eyes were still glued to the liquor cabinet before her. "I'll have what you're having."

"Scotch it is." Regina confirmed.

As she poured the libation, she stole a glance at the recipient who was still stood by the door, hands in her pockets, uneasy, with that look about her; a stray puppy looking for shelter. Looks like Regina was going to have to hand her the drink herself. At the moment she was the stronger one of the two despite being unsettled herself.

She was beginning to regret her actions; inviting Emma for a nightcap, listening to her desperate plea to help her with him when she could have otherwise used his presence against the biggest threat to her happiness with Henry.

However, she had caught Henry with the newspaper reading that article about Emma giving birth to him in prison. She saw the hurt in his eyes and no matter how much she tried to deny any involvement in leaking the story, a bold faced lie of course, he never believed her. His hate had only multiplied. She couldn't again look at a face of a child who looked like his heart had been ripped out of him by his own mother. Not again. She wouldn't be the cause of that again. It was the same face she saw in Emma when that man first came into town. What had happened to Emma, they had been the same age then, hit too close to home. Love and empathy was a wicked mysterious thing.

The brunette approached the uneasy figure by the door and held the glass of scotch to her. Daring the blonde to look at her, but finding Emma's usual defiant nature suddenly broken instead. It might have been a good thing Emma couldn't make eye contact with her, even as she downed the amber liquid in one go, it might have unleashed something in Regina even more surprising than saving Emma from Henry's biological father.

Emma closed her eyes as she let the alcohol burn its way down her throat. Liquid courage. She managed to return Regina's stare. Tension running thick. "Thank you," she could only manage to whisper.

"Another?" Regina offers as she holds up another glass of scotch. Emma partakes and when she finishes, licks the remnants clinging on her lower lip.

"Thank you," Emma says, eyes trained on her host's, feeling the alcohol working its way to her head. A very welcomed buzz.

"You said that already," Regina whispers back, coming closer - destroying whatever personal barrier that lay between them. She grabbed the empty glasses out of Emma's hands and placed them on an end table.

Emma swallowed hard, she could do nothing to erase the hurt in her eyes, she could see it all mirrored in Regina's who then cupped her cheeks with both hands. The brunette uttered," None of it was your fault. You shouldn't feel guilty or ashamed."

"I know, I don't." Emma tries to say back steadily, but she can't help it - can't stop the offending emotions creeping its way out again after years of burying it deep within. Some wounds take a longer time to heal. She could down a whole bottle of scotch and gladly, but it would only numb her body – never erase the memory. "I should." Emma says, gesturing to the door.

Regina comes in, impossibly, inappropriately close. Emma can feel Regina's scotch laced breath on her – it was intoxicating.

She manages to say "How long have you been drinking here alone, Regina?"

"A long time my dear."

Regina has been a cruel person. Selfish. Evil as they say. She knows it. She wasn't born this way. There was a time where the good was stronger in her. When there was innocence. Then things changed. However there was one constant. Regina's weakness was a child in need for she was a child in need that no one bothered to rescue. Finding out what happened to Emma as a teen, it brought out her protective instincts. It would have put her in Henry's good graces but she handled the matter privately, for Emma and Henry's sake. Now seeing Emma with all the vulnerability of a child in her eyes, Regina reached for her.

She moves for Emma's lips, but hesitates. Unwilling to force anything. They stand there in limbo, lips so close, both wanting it so badly. It was Emma who closes the gap and kisses her taking herself and Regina by surprise.

After the kiss, Regina is stunned silent.

Emma smiles in embarrassment as she backs away," I- I'm sorry. I don't know why… I should go." she turns and goes for the door.

Regina snaps back into reality and catches Emma's arm, turning the blonde to face her. "Wait! Let's just pretend it didn't happen." It seemed like the thing to say.

"Okay."

Regina grabbed Emma's other arm as she drew herself closer to her. Closer, closer eyes trained on each other until Emma takes one last intake of breath before their lips meet again - softly.

"Okay…" Regina breathed.

"Yes," Emma responds.

"Let's forget that too," Regina whispers and rests her forehead on Emma's. They're both holding each other now. Unbalanced by the alcohol and their passion.

Emma cups Regina's face with both hands and drinks in the woman's face - inspecting each facial feature as if seeing this woman for the first time. She doesn't really want to forget and pulls her nearer, kissing her, surprised at the tenderness of it and of Regina. This time they don't stop to tell lies of forgetting. They keep going until Emma's back hits the door. If this was any other night, Regina would've taken her there, standing up against the door. Tonight was different. They both knew it as they manoeuvre their way to the sofa - hands and lips in desperately constant contact.

Before the sofa, in between kisses, Regina begins to undo Emma's shirt until she is hit again with concern. This never happens. She stops, looks at Emma, asking for permission. Emma strokes her cheek and nods. Emma in turn begins work on Regina's top, untucking it and lifting it over, letting it drop on the floor as she marvels at Regina's dark tousled hair. The light from the fire illuminating her beauty. They continue undressing each other until they are skin to skin.

Emma lowers herself on the sofa with Regina in tow. Regina doesn't wait, she wants to make love to Emma but she also wants to give Emma her release. Letting Emma open herself up, she kisses her way down to the wet apex of the blonde's legs – drinking her heady scent and lapping up her arousal. With Emma's moans as encouragement, Regina continues – and gets an even louder response as she slides two fingers inside her. It doesn't take long before Emma is shaking uncontrollably – jerking here and there as the brunette prolongs her orgasm. By now she doesn't know anything but wanting Regina's mouth, her body close to her and watching, hearing and feeling this woman's own sexual undoing.

Emma pulls Regina up so that she is now kneeling on top of Emma's face. Without hesitation, she begins making love to the brunette. Her tongue tracing invisible paths along Regina's folds, drinking in her wetness. They match each other's sighs and moans – as good for one as the other. Like Emma, it isn't long before Regina has thrown her head back, holding onto the blondes head and losing herself whilst Emma holds her body steady as her orgasm rattles through her body.

Drunk with passion, they lay together, their bodies tangled. Emma watches as Regina's tired eyes finally close. She whispers, "Thank you." and finally letting herself sleep.

The dying embers of the fire keep the darkness at bay.

Regina smiles, half asleep, eyes still shut, whispers back," You said that already."

Their steady breathes cut through the quiet.

This night was different. Tomorrow a new day.


End file.
